Arran Women for Independence

On Friday, 2nd May, Dr Philippa Whitford held a packed audience in the Ormidale spellbound as she talked about her reasons for backing Scottish independence. She explained that she did not mind (much) which way people chose to vote, but it distressed her to hear women say they were afraid Scotland could not afford to ‘go it alone’. The figures she presented spoke for themselves, showing how Scotland already had a better GDP than Britain put together, standing 8th in the world. It spends more on public services, health care and schools than England does, and we should not be unnerved by Westminster’s scare-mongering.

Philippa spoke with clarity and passion about the NHS. As a consultant breast cancer surgeon, she is horrified to see the National Health Service being broken up and put out to tender for the highest bidders. Already, the rising costs were having a devastating effect, with a third of all prescriptions not being taken up because patients could not afford to pay for them. Regarding illness as a profit-making business was no way to help people to lead healthy lives that enabled them to work and earn their way, she pointed out. Investing in people was the only sustainable way to build a productive economy. The paid-for American health system leaves many people derelict, and is the most expensive in the world.

Questions came thick and fast, with one or two people expressing exactly the reservations that Philippa identified, but most were in heartfelt agreement. There was a palpable sense of excitement about what we may be able to achieve, and as one person said, ‘Regardless of the referendum result, things will never be the same again.’ This is a genie that is not going back into any bottle.